Photo: Rob Kennedy, CC BY 2.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0>, via Wikimedia Commons
Our top 10 Fountains of Wayne songs brings us to a band that blended pop delight with alternative and indie rock vibes bringing them great success in the U.S. Formed in New York in 1995, Fountains of Wayne had their music career propelled by their great composition skills, with most of the songs alluding to pathos and humor. There sound is often compared to other popular bands of the 90s and 2000s such as Blink-182, Sum 41, Simple Plan etc.. And thanks to the band’s most influential figure, Adam Schlesinger, for his sublime songwriting skills that made most of their songs tick. Surprisingly, composing music was Adam Schlesinger’s specialty, winning him awards such as the Emmys and Grammys for outstanding songwriting skills. Fountains of Wayne would be established following the meeting of Adam Schlesinger, with vocalist Chris Collingwood at college.
Other founding members include lead guitarist Jody Porter and drummer Brian Young. Fountains of Wayne would entertain rock lovers with their ability to apply their musical understanding to whatever context. Multi-instrumentalist and songwriter Adam Schlesinger would also be the man behind the formation of Ivy and Tinted Windows bands, having his songwriting skills borrowed by groups like Fever High. Fountains of Wayne would hit commercial success shortly after their formation, releasing hit songs in each of their albums. However, October 2013 would be the last time Fountains of Wayne had a show together as a unit. Their collapse was never issued officially, having the band members refer to the band in the past tense years later.
The COVID-19 pandemic took down masses and among the icons who succumbed to the illness was the band’s most influential member Adam Schlesinger in 2020. While the surviving members reunited in tribute to their fallen figure, they are yet to make moves in the rock music platform boldly as the new Fountains of Wayne. Here are the top 10 Fountains of Wayne songs that showcase to the world the pure talent the band had in terms of exceptional lyrical content and sublime performances.
# 10 – Hackensack
At number ten is the song “Hackensack” from the band’s 2003 album, Welcome Interstate Managers. The song is about a gentleman pondering over a lady he knew years ago in his youth days. Despite the years past, this gentleman still has some deep feelings about the lady even though they all have grown, with the lady moving to LA and becoming quite famous. It’s the gentleman’s wish that the lady returns to Hackensack one day and to him too. “Hackensack” was a great song of its times, having it featured in a 2005 movie, Just Friends.
# 9 – Radiation Vibe
Released as the first single in their self-titled 1996 album, the song “Radiation Vibe” was one of the band’s best-performing songs, giving the band recognition beyond America. While the song attained a peak position of number 14 on the US Alternative Airplay Charts, “Radiation Vibe” would also feature in music charts in Australia, Scotland, and the UK. “Radiation Vibe” brings the best of Chris Collingwood not only in the vocals but in songwriting having him pen its lyrics. With Hem and Male Bonding covering this song, it is without a doubt that “Radiation Vibe” was worthy of being a live favorite for the band and their fans.
# 8 – The Summer Place
Other than the good-looking women in “The Summer Place,” the song remains one of the best releases from the power-pop perennials Fountain of Wayne. Featured in their fifth studio album, Sky Full of Holes, the song “The Summer Place” proved that Fountains of Wayne still had what it takes to become an eternally remembered rock band. The video to this song shows what the subject woman will look like in her old age. In addition, you ought to love the delivery of the song with Collingwood’s vocals harmonizing with the backing vocals of the other band members to bring out a unique performance.
# 7 – Sink to the Bottom
Taking us back to their debut album is the song “Sink to the Bottom,” which was quite a powerful ballad in its times. The song brings on the persona to be with someone who has given up on life. And as you can tell, trying to talk someone out of some dire situation isn’t an easy task. In this context, the singer gets tired of saving the soul from the fangs of giving up too quickly. The result is him giving up too and deciding to sink with the soul he tried to save from giving up. “Sink to the Bottom” received quite a nice reception having it reach a peak position of number 42 on the UK Singles Chart.
# 6 – Mexican Wine
The song “Mexican Wine” found the Fountains of Wayne band at their optimistic best. Featured in their 2003 album, Welcome Interstate Managers, the song “Mexican Wine” proved to be a worthwhile song to introduce their new energy in the power-pop vibe. In addition, the song features some witty and glorious melodic feel that might have helped the album receive quite a positive reception both by Fountains of Wayne fans and the music critics.
# 5 – Denise
We cannot seem to forget Fountains of Wayne’s 1999 album, Utopia Parkway, thanks to the song “Denise.” Watching the video, it’s hilarious seeing how the girl Denise acts like the boss she can be to a man’s heart. It reminds you of how hard-to-get and vulnerable women can be at times. Chris Collingwood and Adam Schlesinger gave the song “Denise” quite a sparkle with their lyrical prowess. In addition, the band’s backing vocals do magical work in helping provide a catchy tune for the song “Denise” alongside Collingwood’s vocals.
# 4 – Someone to Love
The song “Someone to Love” by Fountains of Wayne was probably the highlight of the band’s 2007 album, Traffic, and Weather. While its catchy vibe might draw you in, it’s the juxtaposition of its sublime and acidic lyrics that makes the song quite a hit. The song “Someone to Love” depicts the parallel lives of Seth Shapiro and Beth McKenzie. You ought to love how Fountains of Wayne combined the music-filled hooks with the pathos-filled lyrics proving that they have the art of music deep in themselves.
# 3 – Too Cool for School
“Too Cool for School” brings on some great energy from Fountains of Wayne, proving that they can rock n roll! The song is quite catchy and easy to sing along to. Probably, the lyrics might sound quite funny compared to most of the band’s other songs, but they provide the perfect choice for a song to ending Scary Movie. Despite the song being short, it remains a favorite for some of the Fountains of Wayne fans.
# 2 – Hey Julie
Featured in Fountains of Wayne’s 2003 album, Welcome Interstate Managers, the song “Hey Julie” is probably the best love song ever released. In a great way, you can tell that Julie is the best thing in the persona’s life. To some point, you might wish that you had the lyrics tweaked a little bit by the person you love most, having the name Julie replaced with your name just to feel how much the lover craves for you. The song’s video was quite strange, though, having it bring the persona and his fav dog. Would Julie have been a dog? Well, food for thought, but you can use the song to your advantage to suit a given context.
# 1 – Stacy’s Mom
And now at number one is the best song from the Fountains of Wayne, “Stacy’s Mom,” which proves that Welcome Interstate Managers was the best album ever. The song tells the story of a kid who has a huge crush on her sexy and gorgeous mother. And if you think you have heard it all, Adam surprised many by saying that the song was inspired by a friend who was attracted to his grandmother! Whatever the inspiration, we can all agree that the song was a hit being the highlight of Fountains of Wayne for almost two decades now. “Stacy’s Mom” was a commercial success having it become the most downloaded song on iTunes at a time. Despite not winning the Grammy Award for the Best Vocal Pop Performance in 2004, the song performed well in multiple charts globally hence Fountains of Wayne’s best song to date.
Top 10 article published on Classic RockHistory.com© 2021
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![Rob De Luca of Spread Eagle, Sebastian Bach & UFO: 10 Albums That Changed My Life From humble East Coast origins to grandest stages worldwide, veteran bassist Rob De Luca has seen and done it all. De Luca first hit the local Boston rock and metal scene in the late 80s after meeting guitarist Paul DiBartolo, bonding over Van Halen before forming Bang. Regional success came quickly, but eventually, the members of Bang went their separate ways, with De Luca and drummer Tommi Gallo heading to NYC and hooking up with Ray West and, later, DiBartolo to form Spread Eagle. By 1990, Spread Eagle was on the fast track, with a contract through MCA Records and a self-titled debut album poised to crush skulls. But poor timing and MCA's sad indifference left Spead Eagle out in the cold despite being a hard-boiled answer to Guns N' Roses's West Coast sleaze. Spread Eagle's first chapter came to an end in '95. As for Rob De Luca, his nimble fingers and gift for melody and songwriting kept him moving forward. Soon, he found a gig with former Skid Row frontman Sebastian Bach and the legendary outfit UFO. And in 2010, after coupling up with Ray West and his cousin Rik De Luca, Spread Eagle retook flight. During a break from Spread Eagle's increasingly busy touring schedule, Rob De Luca dialed in with ClassicRockHistory.com to run through the ten albums that changed his life. But only after adding, "I made a playlist of these songs, including some I've written or co-written. Do you hear any of these albums' influence on me?" Listen here: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/3LWJuhDrE8JmzhsmTeIDUq 10) Gentlemen by Afghan Whigs (1993) Here's an entry that was so important to me. This may be the darkest break-up album of all time. Greg Dulli has been in many projects, but I feel Gentlemen is his zenith. Somewhat undefinable at times but always profound and honest. Listen to "Gentlemen," "Fountain and Fairfax," and "What Jail Is Like." 9) In on the Kill Taker by Fugazi (1993) By this time, I had been sucked in and spit out by the major-label record industry. Glam came and went; grunge was history, too. I was searching for new sounds. When I heard Fugazi's twin guitar approach, I knew this was what was missing. Fugazi may be considered a less polished sound than the albums above; however, once you "get it," it hits you like a ton of bricks, and there's no going back. From the moment I heard Fugazi, I went to every NYC show after. It's easily some of the best concerts of my life, and possibly my favorite bassist in Joe Lally. And their DIY ethics refused to charge us more than $5 a show! In on the Kill Taker is a powerful album demonstrated in songs such as "Smallpox Champion," "Great Cop," and "Public Witness Program." 8) Appetite for Destruction by Guns N' Roses (1987) I discovered many of these albums (sometimes long) after they were released. However, I was at the right place at the right time for this one. Steve Ostromogilsky had a Berklee College of Music lunch card and used to sneak out sandwiches for me. One day, he invited me to hang out at his place and listen to music. As we got off the train, he put Sony Walkman headphones on my ears and said, "Hey, check out this brand-new group." A song like "It's So Easy" was so different from the popular Sunset Strip sound at that time. Me and about 499 other informed rockers were lucky enough to see them on their first East Coast tour at the sold-out Paradise on Commonwealth Avenue, Boston (the same street Aerosmith started on). I saw Gn'R every tour after until I took a break when Buckethead joined. Gn'R is the band I've been lucky enough to see the most times live, almost 100! Everyone on this album is just stellar. Axl [Rose] had the tones, power, melodic sensibilities, and foresight to do what no other singer did then. Slash's playing was beyond memorable. Duff [McKagan] is one of the most underrated bassists in rock history, and learning his Appetite basslines is a masterclass. Steven [Adler] had the natural swing, and Izzy [Stradlin] was the secret weapon songwriter. Everything that's been heralded about this gem is deserved and true. Check out "It's So Easy," "Out Ta Get Me," and "Mr. Brownstone.' 7) Wish You Were Here by Pink Floyd (1975) Another contender for my favorite album and band of all time. Using The Beatles machine (same recording studio, engineer, record label), Pink Floyd made what I feel is their strongest, most cohesive album (my second favorite of theirs would be Animals). This list mainly consists of bands with an instantly recognizable sound. Floyd is certainly no exception to that! This album included a solid handful of undeniable rock radio classics, bookended by two halves of the mind-blowing song "Shine on You Crazy Diamond.' That song was written about former band member and founder Syd Barrett. It would be hard to live in a world without this album. Check out "Welcome to The Machine," "Shine on You Crazy Diamond (parts 6-9),' or even better yet, listen to the whole thing in one sitting! 6) Decade by Neil Young (1977) About this time, I started playing guitar. As a beginner, it was comfortable jamming to this album because the chord changes were simple—a great "first ten years" retrospective of Neil's stunning, unique songwriting. Neil is a treasure who always writes from the heart and stands up for what's right. Check out "Southern Man," "A Man Needs a Maid," "Down by The River," and "After the Goldrush." 5) Highway to Hell by AC/DC (1979) When I heard this album, I was firmly "me." My life would be 100% focused on hard rock music forever. AC/DC are like air; they're ubiquitous. Everyone knows them and their incredible songs. However, as a young teen in Wilmington, Delaware, I only had WMMR 93.3 FM Philadelphia and a few friends to inform me about the world of Rock outside my bedroom. AC/DC had not gone mainstream, and their albums were available primarily in the USA as imports. To put things more in perspective, I only knew two people in the world who had heard of AC/DC. A friend had an import that we played in Steve Buckley's basement, which sounded ripping. When Highway to Hell was released, WMMR started spinning the title track, and I immediately bought the album, listening to it every single day after school. Then WMMR announced AC/DC was coming to the Spectrum in Philly, supporting Ted Nugent! I liked Ted but loved AC/DC, so my good friend Mick Cummins and I bought tickets, and he drove us up to the Spectrum (where we saw most of our concerts). Bon Scott was in fine form, and the band went over great. Although the crowd knew Ted better, Angus [Young] wouldn't let anyone upstage him. I'll never forget it! Unfortunately, Bon would be gone in 6 months. Check out "Walk All Over You," "Touch Too Much," "Shot Down in Flames," and "If You Want Blood (You Got It)." 4) Toys in the Attic by Aerosmith (1975) By the time I heard this, I was now in my teens. I had a childhood friend up the street, Jim Linberg (we're still good buddies). His older sister had a great album collection, including Toys in The Attic. Once I heard that groove, my taste changed. I lost interest in rock music that didn't have some sort of "swing" feel to it. I think Rocks is a slightly better Aerosmith album (and possibly my favorite album of all time), but both are perfect or very close. Check out "Uncle Salty," "Adam's Apple," "No More No More," "Round and Round," and "You See Me Crying." 3) Alive! by Kiss (1975) When I was still a little kid, I asked for Cheech and Chong's Up in Smoke album for Christmas. The entire family came over for an enormous feast, and I dropped the needle. When my mother heard the content, she turned off the album and said I had to exchange it. My mom was cool, but I was young and knew much more about life than she suspected. Anyway, the next day, she drove me back to the store. In the music section, promoted on an "endcap" was a Kiss Alive! display. I had never heard of Kiss, but that cover picture told me I had to have it! My first foray into hard rock. Check out “Strutter.” I went through my Kiss phase very quickly, I believe in a matter of months because I discovered the previous entry, Aerosmith's Toys in the Attic. 2) Honky Chateau by Elton John (1972) When I was a wee lad, my parents bought a used Volkswagen camper van from my uncle Ozzie. My favorite Elton John album is Yellow Brick Road, but Honky Chateau is great and easily one of his best. It sent me down a lifelong rabbit hole of loving everything about the 1970s partnership between Elton and lyricist Bernie Taupin. The simple beauty of voice, the master songwriting, the perfect backing band, the clear, unobtrusive recordings, and always Bernie's incredible lyrics. The day this album was released, Elton became an unstoppable force that conquered the music industry. Check out "Mona Lisas and Mad Hatters" and "Rocket Man." 1) Sergeant Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band by The Beatles (1967) Another tape that was included in the VW Camper. The van had a bunch of music tapes, and one was Sgt Pepper. I was too young to understand the sophistication of the music, but that was one of the many skills of The Beatles. They attracted listeners at every level, even little kids. I still feel that immediate connection to Sgt Pepper; now, I hear so much more. It's an album that changed the world and the world of music. Check out "Lucy in The Sky with Diamonds," "A Day In The Life," and "Fixing a Hole."](http://www.classicrockhistory.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Shutterstock_1815495569-1-300x200.jpg)
